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Each Shall Give Account of Himself
Each Shall Give Account of Himself
Romans 14.10-12
Individually giving account of yourself is a key aspect of salvation through Christ. Even if this seems obvious to some, it is an important reminder for everyone. The purpose of this article is both to warn us of the individual judgment that we will face and to encourage us that the judgment we receive will only be according to what we have done, not anyone else.
Warning
On Judgment Day we will be held accountable for everything we have done, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5.10). In Romans 14, Paul writes about accepting rather than judging others for differences on matters of opinion. Paul asks, “But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ” (Romans 14.10). We will all stand in judgment one day, not as the Brandon church of Christ but as individuals. Paul emphasizes the individual nature of Judgment Day by referencing Isaiah 45.23, “‘Every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God’” (Romans 14.11). Being a part of a healthy congregation is important, but do not let it distract you from the reality of Judgment Day. No matter how faithful the congregation is that you are a part of no matter how many generations of Christians you come from, when Judgment Day comes what will matter is what you did individually with your life. The warning found in Romans 14 and throughout the Bible should remind us that one day we will have to answer for everything we did with our lives. When temptation comes, as pressing as it can feel in the moment, remind yourself that on Judgment Day you will have to give an account for this if you give in to the temptation. Be warned, the only thing that will matter on Judgment Day is your relationship with Christ. Do not worry about what others are doing. Focus on your relationship with Christ and the account that you will give to Him.
Encouragement
As terrifying as this individual judgment may seem initially, we should take joy in knowing that we give account of ourselves, not anyone else. “So then each of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14.12). If we had to give an account of anyone else other than ourselves that would make God’s judgment seem quite unfair. That is why Paul makes this emphasis in the middle of his discussion of not judging others on matters of opinion. Paul reminds his readers that on Judgment Day you will only have to worry about yourself, so don’t worry about what other people’s opinions are on holidays or food. A large part of our Christian walk is helping others. However, as hard as you may try to help someone find Christ, you will not be held accountable if they never come to belief. As much as you may want another brother to see that a certain lifestyle is sinful, you will not be held accountable if that brother continues to sin. Our job as Christians is to help others, but it is not our job to bear the sins of anyone else. Jesus already did that. As much as one of Paul’s readers may have wanted another brother to understand that there is nothing unclean in Christ, what matters is how he treats that brother, not the difference of their opinions. We can easily lose
sight of what is important when focusing on other people’s opinions instead of our own actions. Remember we will give our accounts to God, not to our brothers. Be encouraged, the only thing that will matter on Judgment Day is your relationship with Christ. Do not worry about what others are doing. Focus on your relationship with Christ and the account that you will give to Him.
The warning of Romans 14.12 is there will be no comfort found in being part of a healthy church or a faithful family on Judgment Day if you do not have a good relationship with Christ. Each must give an account of himself to God. The encouragement is knowing even if no one else in your family, your church, or the whole world remained faithful to Christ it would not affect your Salvation. Each must give an account of himself to God. In Christ alone there is Salvation. Nothing else will matter on Judgment Day except for your relationship with Him.
– William Speer
